Spotlight Interview with author K.M. Hodge

Interview

Can you tell us a little about yourself and your background?

I am from Detroit, Michigan and I am a huge Detroit Tigers fan. My degrees are all in social work and I have dedicated the last fifteen years to promoting social change. I advocate for women’s rights, hunger, and autism. live in Texas now with my husband and two boys, one of which is on the spectrum. I incorporate all of these things into my writing. I even have a character with autism for my Book Cellar Series.

What inspired you to write?

Okay, you’re going to laugh at this one. Twenty years ago, I was hard core obsessed with the show The X-Files. I loved the writing and wanted to write my own FBI book, but without the paranormal twist. So I started what is now called, Red on the Run, my award winning first in Trilogy book.

What inspired your novel?

The last book in my Trilogy was inspired by medical mysteries, which I have always been a fan of. I enjoy writing about doctors and nurses. I even have a nurse that I collaborate with to make sure that all of my information is correct. Dr. Zander Ride is nothing like his parents, but is still one of my favorite characters.

Here’s the blurb:

The Son—born to save them all.

Dr. Zander Ride grew up a son of The Syndicate, his fate as a career criminal all but sealed. With the help of his mother, he escaped a life of crime… until the night he heard The Syndicate had shot his mother in cold blood.

Zander soon finds refuge in the hands of his mother’s hacktivist group, who want his help bringing down the notorious group once and for all. But it comes with a cost. Managed by a different leader and guided by a new deadly mission, the hacktivists force Zander to confront the truth about his parents and the sacrifices they made for the cause.

In the end, Zander must decide how far he’s willing to go and what he’s willing to sacrifice. Can a child born of The Syndicate bring it all down, or will he be another pointless sacrifice in their struggle for money and power?

Fans of Criminal Minds, NCIS, and Robin Cook will be thrilled with this fast paced Trilogy.

What is the genre?

The genre for this series is Suspense. Because it takes place in the future it also has a touch of speculative in it as well as romantic elements. But at its core it is suspense.

What draws you to this genre?

I love writing stories that have my readers on the edge of their seat. It’s what I have always enjoyed reading, too.

How did you develop your plot and your characters?

The main characters in my series have all been inspired by strangers I meet or from TV shows, like the X-Files. The main man of the first book in series is loosely based off of Mulder from the X-Files. So I start off with a basic idea of the characters and then I map out their progression through each book with a kind of bell curve diagram.

What inspired your protagonist?

I wanted to have a “normal” character to offset the tragically flawed ones that I have written previously. I enjoy the idea of having two wild parents having a cool, calm, and collective kid. I have a background in psychology and have always been interested in nature vs. nurture. I also wanted to have the majority of the story take place in a hospital and thought it would be fun to have a doctor character.

What inspired your antagonist?

I have two antagonist. One that is the obvious bad guy, who feels justified in his actions. He wants to take everyone down and do it in a very scary way. The other antagonist is the vigilante justice guy. The one who wants to stop the bad guy, but doesn’t always want to do things within the letter of the law. It’s fun to have a gradation of bad and touch of the question of what is justified and what isn’t.

What was the hardest part to write in the book?

The hardest part for me is always the 30k word mark. I always struggle with all of my books at this point.

What was your favourite part of your book to write?

I love to write the end. I usually write the end scene first and work backwards.

Are you a full time or a part time writer? If part time, what do you do besides write?

I am a full time mom, part time fundraiser, and part time writer. I am always on the go.

What are you currently reading?

My nine year old and I are reading all things Rick Riordan. We just finished the Percy Jackson series. Sooo good!

Who would you say are your favourite authors?

My all time favorite author, and awesome human is Joyce Maynard. She works really hard, writes brilliant stories, and is one of the nicest people. She inspires me to keep going. I also love all things Margaret Atwood, Ann Patchett, and Barbara Kiingsolver. Old school authors would be: Stienbeck, Austen, and Alcott.

How about your favourite books? What would be your top 5?

This is such a hard question. Off the top of my head, here is the list:

East of Eden

Pride and Prejudice

Truth & Beauty

The Poisonwood Bible

Blind Assassin

What are your future projects, if any?

I am working on a 1970’s romantic thriller trilogy that will come out at the end of the year. I am also working on the Syndicate-born Trilogy prequel.

What is your preferred method for readers to get in touch with you and your books?

Take your time and don’t rush to get your work out there. Make sure it has a professional (to market) cover and make sure it has been edited by a person who has experience editing your specific genre. Also, read as many craft books and belong to as many groups of authors as you can. No one gets there alone. Your fellow authors can be a big help to you and a wonderful resource to learn from. Slow and steady wins the race. Remember that. 🙂

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Published by Leticia (Shh, I Am Reading)

I'm a 30 year old avid reader with a giant love and lust for books, especially science fiction, fantasy, young adult, horror and the occasional romance or drama novel. I live in Ontario, Canada and spend my free time indulging in good books or video games.
View all posts by Leticia (Shh, I Am Reading)